John Gilbert
Johnathan "John" Gilbert is Grayson Gilbert's brother and 's biological father. He met and fell in love with Isobel sometime when she visited Mystic Falls before she turned into a vampire. After she turned, John left town for a while before coming back in Under Control. He is a member of The Founder's Council. John, along with Alaric Saltzman, possesses a ring that prevents its bearer from being killed. John and Grayson inherited these rings. John gave his to Isobel who then gave it to Alaric, her husband. Before Grayson died, John took his ring. When he first came back to Mystic Falls he conspire with Isobel to destroy the tomb vampires under Katherien's orders. Around that time Elena learned he was her biological father. After finishing his job Katherine attempted to kill him but failed and John left. A few months later he returned with Isobel to help protect Elena from Klaus. After Klaus killed Elena John sacrificed himself to bring her back to life. This character is a member of the Gilbert Family and a relative of the Pierce Family. Early Life In his teenage years, John learned about the vampires that had once threatened Mystic Falls from his older brother, Grayson, whom he held in high regard. Later on, he met and fell in love with Isobel Flemming and they went out a couple of times. One day, Isobel told him she was pregnant and John brought her to Grayson so that she could give birth to a daughter, Elena. Isobel left Elena in the good hands of Grayson and his wife Miranda, who didn't know that John was the father. Reading Johnathan Gilbert's journals, John discovered a number of secrets such as the existence of the tomb under Fell's Church and that and Stefan Salvatore were vampires. Sometime later, Isobel came to see him and asked him if he knew about the vampires. He told her that he knew Damon and he sent her to meet him. When Isobel was turned into a vampire at her own request, John harbored a deep hatred for the vampires who stole his 'true love' from him and felt guilty at having sent Isobel to Damon. Season One In Under Control John returned to Mystic Falls where he was warmly greeted by Mayor Richard Lockwood and the other members of the founder's council. However, he knew much more than them, including that the tomb vampires had been released and he was secretly planning to eliminate them all. He blackmailed Damon with the knowledge of his secret, trying to get him to help him to find part of Johnathan Gilbert's invention. The device emits a noise tone on a certain frequency that is harmless to humans but renders vampires totally helpless by a deafening sound. The vampires can hear it and so can Werewolves, it seems to be even more effective than vervain. John had already owned part of The invention, but Pearl had stolen a piece of the invention that she had mistaken for the Gilbert Compass. Pearl gives it to Damon after he asks Anna about it, wanting John to not get it. John killed Pearl before she could leave Mystic Falls and called Isobel with whom he was partners with to come and help him. Isobel used her vampire abilities against Elena and Damon handed over the part of the device. It was revealed at the same time that Isobel and John were secretly working for , the vampire who had turned the Salvatore brothers and who was the reason why the vampires were locked in the tomb. Katherine wanted John to kill the tomb vampires so that they wouldn't come after her and sent Isobel to help him get the part of the invention to make the device which was harmful to vampires. Secretly, Isobel and John wanted the Salvatore brothers dead to save Elena from a life where the vampire world could threaten her life. In the season finale, John talked Richard Lockwood into striking against the tomb vampires by using the invention. Knowing that the Sheriff, Elizabeth Forbes, would not approve their plan, they went over the plan with her deputies before confronting her. Forbes was furious and still refused to go through with the plan. John knocked her out and cuffed her to a table so that she wouldn't disturb them. When the fireworks started during the Founder's Day celebration, John activated the invention and neutralized every vampire in Mystic Falls. The deputies injected them with vervain and they were thrown in the basement of Grayson's old building. Among those captured were Damon, Anna (Pearl's daughter), and Richard Lockwood who did not realize he may had vampiric tendencies and was caught by the tone generator. The deputies spread the vampires with fuel and, after staking Anna, John lit a fire to kill them. This was a replicate of the 1864 Fell's Church fire. Richard died in the fire while Stefan, with help from Bonnie Bennett, saved Damon. Believing his quest to be finished, John returned to the Gilbert house were he talked to Elena, who had discovered that he was her father, telling her why he had done it. However, she then cut off his fingers to dispose of his ring before stabbing him. Before being stabbed, John realized that it was Katherine, not Elena, and that she no longer needed him. Then the real Elena comes home and hears a grunt coming from the kitchen. Season Two Elena entered the kitchen and was horrified to find John on the floor bleeding. She immediately called for an ambulance and he made her aware of someone else's presence in the house. John was taken to the hospital and panicked when he saw Elena enter with Stefan, mistaking her for Katherine. Elena gave him his ring and asked him if he had any information of Katherine's whereabouts, but John had never had direct contact with her. he openly insulted vampires in front of them and how he had hoped that his own daughter would just kill her vampire boyfriend. Elena was offended and left. Stefan stayed behind and became hostile with John, forcefully feeding him blood and threatening to turn him into the creature he despised. Stefan warned John to get out of town in 24 hours, or he would kill him and be turned into a vampire. John did as he asked and packed to leave. He spoke to Jeremy about how Grayson Gilbert would behave towards the vampires, and John admitted that they were raised to hate these creatures. Jeremy asked why his father's ring hadn't saved his father, but John admitted that they were vulnerable to non-supernatural death. He gave Jeremy his father's ring before leaving, enabling to return to life after broke his neck. He returns at the end of The Descent after a call from Stefan wanting help with the situation with . In Daddy Issues, John tells Damon that the Originals can be destroyed with white wood ash and also talks to Katherine about her release of Tomb. In the next few episodes, he begins to tell that has not been hones with her about what happened to his wife, in order to cause a strain on their relationship (as a way of getting Alaric to give John his Ring back), and he continues to do this until the The Dinner Party, when Alaric gives in and returns John his ring back. In The House Guest, Katherine revealed that John and Isobel promised to get her out of the tomb if she promised to stay and help deal with Klaus. John threatened to kill Stefan if she didn't comply and he also told her that one of the brothers had to die. Katherine chose Damon and John gave him the dagger with the white ash knowing full well that Damon would die when he used it against Elijah. With Elijah dead, Klaus became the main threat, causing Isobel to return to Mystic Falls. John trusted her and allowed her to have her say in the matter of protecting Elena, despite Elena's open contempt for her mother. Isobel later bit and killed John as a distraction so Katherine could kidnap Elena, but Damon found that John wore his Gilbert Ring that brought him back later that day. John talked with Elena and told her that he trusted Isobel because he still loved her and was willing to leave if Elena didn't want him around. Realizing that John is her only parent left after Isobels death, Elena grudgingly allows him to stay, telling him that maybe she can learn not to hate him. After Elena is kiddnapped by Klaus for the sacrife. John works with her friends to save her. He volunters to take part in a spell that will connect his vital energy with Elena's and will bring her back to life if she dies. At the end she does die and John collapses at the same time she wakes up. John left a letter and his ring to Elena to some day she gives to her own child. He also apologizes to her in his lectter, telling her that all he did, all the terrible things he did, were done for her. He was buried alongside his brother Grayson, his sister-in-law Miranda and Jenna. During his and Jenna's funeral, Elena places a rose on his tomb as a token of thanks for having saved her life as you can hear John's voice reading the letter out loud. Powers & Abilities and Attitude toward Vampires Being a normal human John Gilbert has to relay on guile, intelligence, technology both old and modern, surprise and magic to protect himself from and combat vampires, which of course he has virtually no hope against in direct unarmed hand to hand combat. He had the use of a special ring, the same kind apparently Alaric Saltzman has, which gave him at least some protection against vampires, including when Damon snapped his neck after Gilbert provoked him only for Damon to see him alive and mingling in the crowd resurrected and healed to Damon's shock. (Under Control) However, it is only limited protection since Katherine Pierce, masquerading as Elena lulled him into a false sense of security and then cut of his ring finger (and a few others besides) with one chop of a steak knife and proceeded to stab him in the stomach in Founder's Day trying to kill him. It is revealed in Season 2 that he is not dead and Elena saved him when she found him in the kitchen. Stefan later threatens him and tells him to leave town. He has a unrelenting prejudice against all vampires believing ultimately they should all be destroyed. At best they can be related to on a person to person basis toward that goal forming alliances with them like the equally contemptuous of humans Isobel Flemming, his former love when she was human. It was Damon who had turned her into a vampire and seeing how vicious she became was convinced that a person is destroyed by becoming a vampire, no matter how good they act. Isobel is part of the reason why he hates vampires so much, because she had became one. If they are useful for short term mutual interest to obtain an end, he will use them. In this case to kill the tomb vampires to head off their supposed desire for vengeance against the citizens of Mystic Falls and to keep Pearl and Anna from seeking vengeance against the Salvatore Bros. and Katherine. On a level of mutual agreement both Isobel and John wanted the Salvatore brothers dead to keep Elena from the vampire world. He believes the same as Giuseppe Salvatore, believed in 1864: that there are no such thing as a good vampire and they must all be killed including . However he has a self-loathing and Stefan threatened to turn him into a vampire thereby making hate himself more than he does. His nephew Jeremy was the only person who John Gilbert seemed to show genuine care and concern for; seemingly more so than towards his own daughter Elena, and enough so that he gave his ring to Jeremy before leaving, even though John probably has many more threats and enemies to worry about. Appearances ;Season 1 * Under Control * Miss Mystic Falls * Blood Brothers * Isobel * Founder's Day ;Season 2 * The Return * The Descent * Daddy Issues * Crying Wolf * The Dinner Party * Know Thy Enemy * The Sun Also Rises Gallery Season 1 JohnGilbert.jpg JohnSherrifForbees.jpg JohnDead.png JohnWithVervainShot.jpg JohnPoursOil.jpg Johnfloor.jpg Damonjohn.jpg John Gilbert.jpg Season 2 Katherinecoming.jpg Behindyou.jpg Fastturn.jpg Johngilbertdying.jpg JohnGilbert The Return 1.png DaddyIssues045.png Sunrises009.jpg Sunrises008.jpg Sunrises007.jpg Sunrises011.jpg Notes * John gave his Gilbert Ring to Isobel when they were young. * After Grayson's dead, John took his brothers ring to be protected from the supernatural. * In Know Thy Enemy John died, but was saved by his Gilbert Ring. * John seriously affect Alaric`s relations with Isobel and Jenna, along with Jeremy's relationship with Anna. * John dies in the episode The Sun Also Rises. * John along with Isobel, Elizabeth and Carol are guest starring that appear in the first and second season. * Isobel and John die in the last episodes of season two, to save Elena. Category:Vampire Diaries Characters Category:Humans Category:Gilbert Family Category:Pierce Family Category:Antagonists Category:Recurring Characters Category:Season 1 Characters Category:Season 2 Characters Category:Founder's Council Members Category:Secret-Keepers Category:Mystic Falls Residents Category:Male Category:Protagonists Category:Deceased